Educational Intervention Through a Group Discussion is Effective on the Self-Esteem of Patients with Heart Failure

Physical limitations in patients with heart failure (HF) affect their emotional functioning, and ultimately deteriorates their quality of life and decrease their self-esteem. Patient imagery and emotion regulation are two important components of cognitive and emotional processes that relate to patient's self-esteem. Therefore, a sensible way to improve the self-esteem of patients with HF is education through a group discussion.

Our goal was to obtain information about the impact of interventional education through a group discussion on the self-esteem of patients with HF attending Imam Ali Cardiovascular Hospital in Kermanshah, Iran.

This quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2016 with 80 eligible individuals selected using convenience sampling method, and randomly assigned to control and intervention groups. Clinical data of patients were collected from their medical information record. A demographic questionnaire and Rosenberg self-esteem scale were used to collect demographic information and self-esteem data, respectively. All patients in the intervention group underwent 8 sessions of education through a group discussion. The statistical software R-3.2.3 was used to analyze the data.

There was a significant difference between patients’ self-esteem in the control and intervention group after the intervention (P < 0.001), and educational intervention through a group discussion improved self-esteem in the intervention group, as the mean level of patients’ self-esteem improved from 12.03 before intervention to 10.90 after intervention. Furthermore, the mean of the patient's self-esteem increased by 0.55, 0.23, and 0.25, respectively for value, individual ability, and satisfaction in the intervention group.

It is recommended that educational interventions through a group discussion be used to improve the self-esteem of these patients.